Star Trek: Paladin Book 2
by USMCRickaway
Summary: Second book in a series I hope please read and review I'd love some comments


Paladin Book 2  
  
By: Jonathan Eric Rickaway  
  
Prologue  
  
"War is a terrible thing cadets. We were barely allowed any rest until Cardassia surrendered and the Dominion retreated through the Wormhole. I lost many of my crew, and even a few of my friends in that war. I have seen things that I hope will never be seen again but I know that you probably will. Well I guess we will continue where we left off of yesterday." Said Captain Ibanez, a wistful, hollow look in his eyes.  
  
"Let's see where can we continue today? Hmm, Lets skip ahead to about four months before the war ended. It was going badly for the Federation. We had lost DS9 and a third of our fleet. Most of my more experienced crew had been transferred off to head up other ships. It was only sheer luck that I kept my command crew intact. It was about this time that the Paladin was making hit-and-run missions against the Cardassians out of the badlands. We had just attacked a cruiser that was transferring to an advanced base to get its crew. Since the ship had only a skeleton crew, we were able to overpower it. On the computers we discovered documentation that led us on our last mission on the Paladin."  
  
Chapter One  
  
"Sir, incoming transmission from Star Fleet command, Priority one." Said Lt.Cmdr. Hixson. Priority One messages, while normally the most urgent type, had become almost commonplace during the war. So much so that many captains had stopped taking them in private and just put them on the main viewer, myself included.  
  
The face of Admiral Wellington filled the screen. He looked a little perturbed about being broadcast on the bridge but did not say anything about it. His chubby face looked gaunt, his deep-set eyes hollow. He had obviously been wearing the same uniform for several days.  
  
"Captain Ibanez, I hope you and your crew are sufficiently rested enough for heavy action." He said without preamble.  
  
"Aye Admiral, we are. The Paladin is ready for anything." I said with confidence. I felt that we were. Very few ships had as few crew losses and as many victories as the Paladin.  
  
"Good, because I'm sending you into enemy territory. Yours will be the first mission, in a series of missions dedicated to the recovery of Deep Space Nine."  
  
"That is incredible news sir, what must we do?" It was indeed incredible news. Ever since the beginning when we lost DS9, there have been attempts to recover her. All had failed. The only thing keeping the federation from total loss was the minefield that the crew of DS9 had put in place at the mouth of the wormhole. It was imperative to recover the station before the Dominion/Cardassian alliance disabled the minefield.  
  
"Captain, You are to take the Paladin and take over a base that is set up next to Betazed. It is in the system right next to it. Umm, Delta-4982 on our survey charts. The only thing there is a sizeable asteroid. On and in that asteroid is a Cardassian supply base that transfers supplies directly to Bajor and DS9. The idea is to secure the base, quickly, and then we will be able to place spies on both the planet and the station. You will be assisted by an Insipid class troop carrier, the Atlas."  
  
An Insipid class carrier is essentially a gutted Intrepid class vessel. Most everything is removed from the hull. It has very long rows of bunks. There are no individual rooms. Except for the command crew, they are all housed in what would be the conference room adjacent to the bridge. The Insipid class has almost thirty transporter rooms for fast transfer of troops to their destinations. It is also capable of landing on a planet and lowering itself to ground level. Where massive doors built into the vessel will open into ramps, allowing for quick disembarkment. The entire ship can be emptied of all its eight hundred troops in a matter of minutes. The only external difference between the two classes is that the Insipid is much bulkier. It has a new armor plating that is three meters think in all places, except for in slanted areas around the phaser strips and sensor dish. It can take many hits and keep on going.  
  
"I am assuming that I will have Mission authority of the two ships sir." I asked  
  
"Yes, yes. You have utmost authority especially since the other captain is only a lieutenant commander."  
  
"Very well sir, if you will transmit the coordinates we will be on our way."  
  
"Transmitted now, with a complete set of your mission outline and orders. Oh and captain, Good luck. Wellington out." At that, the viewscreen went dark.  
  
"Coordinates received captain, course laid in and plotted." Said Diana.  
  
"Engage ensign."  
  
Chapter Two  
  
We traveled for four days at warp five. We finally ended up at a nubulae.  
  
"We have reached the exact coordinates laid out for us by Admiral Wellington sir." Said Diana at the Helm.  
  
"Well then, I guess we will wait then won't we ensign?" I said as I sat in my chair going over a readiness report on a PADD.  
  
We waited over a day before anything happened. During that time we conducted two readiness drills in order to help break in the new crewmembers.  
  
"Captain, incoming vessel, high warp, it's the Atlas. She appears to be under fire." Xavier reported from his weapons station.  
  
"Shields up, Red alert. Put her onscreen Lieutenant." I ordered as I settled into the center seat.  
  
The image of the bulky vessel filled the screen, and it was under attack by three Dominion attack cruisers. The Atlas tried defending herself with her phasers but usually hit empty space rather than enemy hull.  
  
"Captain, we are being hailed." Elijah reported from ops.  
  
"On screen."  
  
The face of a Lieutenant commander filled the screen. Warning lights were flashing in the background as crew scampered about putting out fires and making on-the-go repairs. A jagged cut marred her face. She was not a beautiful woman, but was still rather intense.  
  
"Paladin this is Lieutenant Commander Hagan of the Atlas. We are in need of immediate assistance. We are under attack by four Dominion Attack craft. We are making our way to your position but our warp field is fluctuating. Please assist us. Our shie...." The screen turned to static for a moment before reverting to a view of the nebulae.  
  
"What is their ETA?" Asked Commander Hoagland.  
  
"ETA is six minutes thirty seconds at present speed." Reported Floursheim at the navigation station.  
  
"Helm," I said. "Prepare for Emergency warp on my mark. I want you to floor it."  
  
"Umm, Aye-sir." Said Diana. She pressed a few buttons on her console and a panel slid open on the side. Out of the recess came a plastic incased switch. She pressed a button on the side of the case and the plastic disintegrated. Looking at me one last time she held her hand over the button.  
  
"All hands, this is the captain, prepare for emergency warp." I said over the intercom. I then sat in my chair and leaned my head against the rest. "Engage"  
  
No sooner had she pressed the button than the vessel accelerated directly to warp three. Boom, boom, boom, boom. No more than six seconds had passed than the velocity indicator on the arm of my chair indicated we were at warp nine. I could hear the stress of the vessel as it groaned around us.  
  
"EPS conduit ruptured on deck twelve section alpha. Another on deck twenty- two section Kilo." Will reported to me.  
  
"Fix it." Was all that I said.  
  
"We are dropping out of warp." Diana informed us.  
  
Everyone held onto their chairs as the ship seemed to stop on a dime. The inertial dampers were not able to keep up and I was flung, along with many other people, out of my chair. I ended up on the floor between the Helm and Nav stations. I got to my feet only to be knocked down again by a weapons blast.  
  
"Return fire, Helm offensive pattern, Picard Epsilon." I ordered.  
  
The crewmember put in the required commands and the ship started to move. Phasers and torpedoes lashed out against the enemy vessels. One of which was disabled in the initial barrage. We continued our onslaught until only two vessels were left. They started to attempt to run away but the Atlas bore down on them and pulverized one, the other which the Paladin destroyed. The Atlas had lost her warp power so we had to take her in a tractor beam and to her to the nebulae.  
  
"Captain, we are being hailed."  
  
"From the Atlas?" I asked.  
  
"No sir, from inside the Nebulae."  
  
"Well onscreen."  
  
"Sir that's not possible. It appears to be flying coordinates. It is on an encrypted StarFleet frequency though."  
  
"Very well, transfer those coordinates to the helm, and let's go see what is going on. Signal Atlas to follow us."  
  
"Atlas acknowledges."  
  
"Good, Engage."  
  
Chapter Three  
  
The trip through the Nebulae took a good while. Five hours to be exact. The coordinates had led us to a nav buoy, which in turn gave us more coordinates and so on and so forth. Due to the size of the Paladin, we had to maneuver on thrusters alone. When we finally reached the center of the nebulae, we were surprised to see a full Battle station there. A battle station is akin to a Starbase except that the Battle station only has the "Saucer" part of a Star base. It is unusual to see a base of this size anywhere, much less so in the middle of a maelstrom nebula.  
  
"McKinley Base to incoming vessels, prepare to switch helm control to automatic." Said a soft, female voice over the Comm line.  
  
"Roger that McKinley Base, the Paladin is yours." Diana replied as she shut down her console.  
  
The ship glided towards the station at a slow but steady rate. The huge space doors slid aside to allow the ship passage. When the Paladin passed through the doors, we were able to see that the cavernous belly of the station was nearly empty of all vessels. A few shuttles flew by and some workbees. It was obviously an older station that had not been used before the war for many years. There was even an old Constitution class vessel moored there, and beyond that was a Miranda class vessel. Both of the vessels seemed to be in various states of refit as if they were being readied to be put back into service. I put those thoughts out of my head as the ship slid into her moorings.  
  
"Sir," said Elijah "station reports that all couplings are attached and we may power nonessential systems down. They also report that Grand Admiral Chekov is here and wishes to board within the hour."  
  
"Grand Admiral Chekov..." the color drained from my face. The head of all of StarFleet was on this station and wished to come aboard my ship. I had never heard of anything like this happening. "Inform the Station commander that the port airlock will be ready to receive the Admiral." I finally said.  
  
"Aye-sir."  
  
"Will, get an honor detail to the port airlock, full dress uniforms, that goes for all senior personnel too."  
  
All of us piled out of the bridge in order to make ourselves presentable for the single most important man in Star Fleet, next to the President of the Federation of course.  
  
By the time that the Admiral was to come aboard the Paladin, then airlock looked nearly pristine. All the senior officers had replicated dress uniforms for the first time in years. A security team had rifles shouldered as they lined both sides of the airlock. The senior staff were clustered at the end of the little gauntlet. A light over the airlock door flashed red then switched to a steady green.  
  
"Crew," Will said. "Atten-hut!" he yelled.  
  
All of us snapped to attention.  
  
"Squad," He said again. "Present Arms!"  
  
The security detail crisply switched their rifles to hold them in front of them.  
  
The airlock door cycled open. A small man with grey hair walked onto the ship.  
  
"Grand Admiral on deck!" I announced and then saluted.  
  
The Admiral walked up to me and returned the salute.  
  
"Permission to come aboard Keptain?"  
  
"Granted Grand Admiral Chekov sir!"  
  
"Just call me Mister Chekov, it sounds more natural too me."  
  
"Aye-aye, Mister Chekov."  
  
"Keptain, I would appreciate it if you were to accompany me to your bridge, we have much to discuss."  
  
"Very well sir, if you will follow me."  
  
At that the Admiral and I walked out of the room and into a turbolift.  
  
"Honor Detail, dismissed!" Will announced again  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Admiral Chekov and I walked onto the bridge and made immediately to the ready room.  
  
"Seal the door Keptain, what I have to say is for you alone." Said the Grand Admiral.  
  
"Very well sir." I made the necessary adjustments to the door controls.  
  
"I understand that Admiral Wellington gave you a preliminary briefing before you left. I am here to complete your briefing. The Paladin has been selected for a special assignment. Under no circumstances will you discuss this briefing with your crew. If you do you will face a general court martial, that is if there is a Federation and a Star Fleet left to court martial you in. Do you understand the severity of this matter Keptain?"  
  
"Yes sir Admiral Chekov. I will not discuss this briefing with my crew. If I do I will hand myself over to the authorities immediately."  
  
"Wery well Keptain. I will trust you on your word. Your mission will be to fight a diversionary action in order to draw as much of the enemy away for the Bajor Sector that you can..."  
  
"Alright Admiral, How many ships will I get?"  
  
"Did you see those to wessels on your way in?"  
  
"Yes sir, the two mothballed ships that appeared to be in a refit."  
  
"Correct, those two wessels will be your fleet, in addition to a destroyer and a cruiser that will be arriving before too long. Probably in the next few days."  
  
"Sir will I be mission commander?"  
  
"Yes you will be in command of all the wessels. As such I am giving you a field promotion to Admiral, effective immediately." He held out his hand which had admiral's bars in it.  
  
I took the bars hesitantly, my mouth dry. I had never hoped to make admiral ever in my lifetime. I was perfectly content as a mere captain. I always thought that making admiral would take me away from what I love doing, captaining a ship. I had always told myself that I would rather become a lieutenant and stay on a ship than become part of the brass and sit at earth all the time.  
  
"I'm honored sir, but I must ask, is it totally necessary to do this?"  
  
"Aye, it is necessary. I need you to be able to exert authority, should you need it, in any situation without contest. This mission will be of the type where some of the decisions you will have to make will make some of the captains under your command question you. You will have to have absolute supreme authority. I will personally make it clear that your new rank is legitimate. You will be able to relieve anyone of command, but only with due cause. If you abuse this authority I will have you punished, possibly a two step reduction in you active rank."  
  
"I understand completely Admiral sir."  
  
"Wery well then, Here is what I will have you do."  
  
Chapter 5  
  
I beamed onto the Paladin a few days later after being in intense planning sessions. I was ready to rest in my own bed. I did not start to wear the new insignia yet. I made it back to my quarters without any incident. Sitting on my bed I just looked at the rank. "Admiral." I muttered. I still could not believe that this was happening to me, but then again we were at war. Many strange things were happening in the fleet these days. Officers too young in their rank getting ships. Too much responsibility on too young of shoulders costing lives. This war would have to end soon, and Star Fleet will be a long time in recovering from this. The fleet is stretched so thin right now that we are barely holding our own. Maybe this upcoming mission will be the beginning of the end.  
  
"Bridge to Captain Ibanez." Someone said over the intercom.  
  
"Ibanez here, go ahead bridge." I tapped my badge and replied.  
  
"Captain, Grand Admiral Chekov has just left in his courier vessel. He left a message for you."  
  
"Very well, what was the message?"  
  
"He said 'Godspeed, Admiral.' I am not quite sure that I understand it. I suppose that you do sir."  
  
"Yes I understand him all to well. I'll be coming to the bridge in a little while, please inform Space Dock that we will be departing within the hour."  
  
"Aye sir, will do. Anything else sir?"  
  
"No, that will be all. Ibanez out."  
  
I spent the next thirty minutes contemplating the magnitude of the mission ahead of me. I replicated myself a new admiral's uniform. I also had all of my command codes and personnel profile altered accordingly using an Isolinear data disk that Admiral Chekov gave to me. The disk had all of the proper "paperwork" and security codes so that making the changes were possible.  
  
Looking at myself in the mirror in the new uniform with the one gold circle enclosed in a gold square insignia on a purple turtleneck. I did not think that I looked the rank but I had to trust the Grand Admiral's judgement in me.  
  
"Here we go." I muttered to myself. At that I walked out of my quarters and made a beeline to the bridge.  
  
As I walked onto my bridge, no one noticed my changes at first. Not until Will said something.  
  
"Shall we inform Space Dock that we are leaving now, Admiral?" He said with a humorous look on his face.  
  
At the mention of "admiral" everyone on the bridge turned to look at me.  
  
I nodded. "Yes, as soon as all moorings are cleared make way for open space. I will be in my ready room." I stood up and walked off the bridge.  
  
After about fifteen minutes, my door chimed.  
  
"Come." I announced.  
  
Will walked in and sat in a chair opposite me.  
  
"What can I do for you Commander?"  
  
"Well Admiral, I was wondering what happened in those meetings on the base. I mean you obviously got promoted but I don't know anything else."  
  
"Commander, I am not permitted to discuss anything that went on over there with anyone other than the Grand Admiral himself. And my promotion is a field promotion, it's not permanent."  
  
"Kieran, we've been friends for coming on twelve years, served on the same ship for almost that whole time. I need to know something about what we are going to be doing."  
  
"Again I can't tell you Will, I wish I that I could but I just can't. I'm under explicit orders."  
  
"We need to know something..." He began  
  
"Damn it Will, Don't you know the meaning of the phrase 'under orders'! I cannot tell you a thing or else I lose my command and my freedom. I am under explicit instructions, Straight from Grand Admiral Chekov himself! I am only allowed to reveal the nature of our mission just before the main part of it commences. So if you really want to know you can just damn well wait like the rest of the crew!" I slammed my fist on my table as I rose from my chair. I was furious. Something that I would never have done in any other circumstances. The shock of my outburst was evident on Will's face.  
  
"Sorry Kieran..."  
  
"Do not sorry Kieran me, from now on, while we are on duty you will refer to me as 'Admiral', the entire crew is to start communicating each other on a rank first basis, do you get me!"  
  
"Sir yes admiral sir!" Will still looked confused.  
  
"You are dismissed, commander."  
  
Will stood up and tossed me a salute which I returned before he walked out.  
  
I waited about an hour before I made my way back onto my bridge.  
  
"Admiral on deck!" Announced Xavier.  
  
I nodded to him and I sat in my chair.  
  
"Ensign, are we in open space?"  
  
"Yes Admiral, we just cleared the nebulae."  
  
"Good, make way for the coordinates that I am transferring to your console. Maximum warp."  
  
"Aye-sir, course laid in. Warp 9."  
  
"Good, Engage."  
  
The ship leapt to warp space.  
  
We spent only ten days at high warp, never once running into a Dominion or Cardassian patrol. The staging area for our mission was in an obscure section of space just above the galactic plane. Over a week after we arrived we ran seemingly endless combat drills. The anti intruder drills were a nice distraction. I decided to make them interesting by having teams compete against each other. I even had the bridge crew become one of the Intruder teams. It was an opportunity for the crew to beat up on their superiors. It was a huge increase in moral for the crew to see their captain gunned down by Commander Hoagland.  
  
When a few of the other ships in our fleet arrived we even started having war games and boarding action games. Those were better for training purposes because they allowed our entire crews to participate in the activities. Over the period of three more weeks our entire fleet ended up consisting of forty-three vessels. Ranging in sizes from Miranda Class, all the way up to Galaxy class.  
  
The entire list of ships ended up being, at the time that we were slated to make our attack on the Processing Facility, were as follows. Three Galaxy class ships, five Ambassador class, four Excelsior class, ten Akira class, two Nebulae class, three Miranda class, four Constellation class, five Steamrunner class, and seven Nova class vessels.  
  
Intelligence probes showed that the fleet amassed around the target was only around twenty ships, on battle ship, two Galor class vessels, and eighteen attack craft. A very small force that we could easily overcome. There were countless numbers of tankers that flew in and out of the processing station every day.  
  
We began our campaign by sending out our Nova class; long range attack vessels, with our contingent of Akira class vessels as escort, to begin bombarding the enemy fleet from long range. Nova class ships used a special Tri-cobalt that can be fired way out of range of more conventional weapons. We continued these operations irregularly for about a week, always being careful not to lead the enemy back to our position. By the end of the week though, the enemy had started to build up their presence in the system to the point where our advance force had started taking heavy fire, especially on the last mission. We nearly lost three of our Akira class vessels.  
  
We spent another two weeks getting stocked up on extra supplies and repairing our damaged vessels. We finally received a high-speed courier drone containing our final orders. We attacked in three days.  
  
With one day left I held a conference onboard the Paladin. It did not go well. Starship captains are some of the most egotistical, stubborn beings in the galaxy. And when you have forty-three of them in one room, it is damn near impossible to come to an accord on anything. It seemed that every captain wanted something different from the plan I had come up with.  
  
The arguing had gone on for a good fifteen minutes now before I got entirely sick of it.  
  
"Captains!" I tried to yell over the roar. "Captains please!" I yelled again. No one paid me any attention. I turned around and pulled a pulse rifle from the hands of a guard. I charged the gun and fired it into the glass ceiling above my head. All eyes turned to me as the ceiling exploded and dust and glass fragments rained down around me.  
  
"What the hell was that for!" One of the captains yelled at me.  
  
I aimed my rifle at him. I switched the setting to the lightest intensity. "Sit down captain, and listen to what I have to say." I said calmly  
  
"You can't bully us, This goes against almost any regulation in the book! I must..." He didn't get the last sentence out of his mouth. I had pulled the trigger and blasted him into his chair. He twitched for a moment and then sat up, not daring to rise again in protest.  
  
"Now," I started as I handed the weapon back to its owner. "We were discussing the battle plan before you children decided to bicker over nothing. I am not easily irritated but I will not tolerate insubordination and division amongst us. The plan and placement of ships that I have set out for you on your viewers is a sound plan. It shows the highest survivability rate in the face of five to one odds against us while still allowing for the destruction of the facility. I do not care if you do not like the plan and you may submit your ideas on it by 0900 tomorrow but the next one of you that dares to be insubordinate again will be relieved of command, do I make myself clear?" I looked around waiting for replies to that. "One last thing before I dismiss you, when you return to your vessels have all of your senior helm officers coordinate with the Paladin on where to maneuver your vessels so that they will be in position come tomorrow. Other than that I request, and this is just a request, give your crews some time off tonight. Let them write letters and just relax a little bit before tomorrow. I want everyone in tiptop condition. Dismissed."  
  
I immediately exited the room. I did not feel like being hassled by more malcontented people. I guess I was being a little hard on them, the plan that we had accounted for only thirty percent of our fleet surviving and that was the best case scenario. I would have been very upset too if I knew there was a large chance my ship and crew would be destroyed. I would also probably, at the very least, get wrote up for that stunt with the rifle, but that was the least of my worries right now. I made my way to the bridge.  
  
Organizing the placement of ships over the next five hours was probably the most stressful thing I had ever done. I can understand why a Space dock controller's job is hated so much. After a year of that early retirement would look like a godsend. I didn't even plan on sleeping at all that night until the good doctor come on the bridge and hit me with a tranquilizer before I even knew that she was there. I woke up in my ready room at 0730 the next morning.  
  
After I got over my initial irritation at being drugged I decided to get the ball rolling on the day. I used my replicator and changed into a new uniform. With that done I belted on my sidearm and strode onto the bridge. The crew were already there. They were silent as I sat in my chair. I pushed a button and opened intra and intership communications.  
  
"Attention all vessels, this is Admiral Ibanez, we are embarking on a very important mission, about as important as the one another fleet is also going on. I am allowed to tell you the true nature of our mission at this time. We are a diversionary action. A fleet of vessels are attempting in the next hour to liberate DS9. We are to make them think that our main goal is to destroy their main processing and shipping facility for Ketracel white. By doing this we wish to draw away a fair amount of their fleet away from the lines in the Bajor system. The more effective we are the better chance our comrades have. Fight well, and maybe we will at least assure a future for future generations, if not our own. Ibanez out."  
  
"Helm, start a countdown for the mass jump to warp. Inform the command and control crewmen that will be watching this fight to be on their toes, don't worry about sending any ship into harms way if it will help another, that includes Paladin."  
  
"Aye-sir"  
  
"Will prepare the shuttle bays for immediate launch of all craft as soon as we drop out, also keep the doors open so that they can land, if they are able."  
  
"Already done." "Helm, Engage."  
  
Forty-three ships jumped to warp in a single instant, the series of flashes as they broke into subspace was spectacular, a fitting sendoff for a thousand thousand heroes.  
  
Chapter 6  
  
"Thirty seconds from warp reversion, enemy formations on sensors. Setting secondary screens to fleet status, and ship status, primary viewer on forward view." Will announce.  
  
"All hands, General Quarters, we are at red alert. Here we go ladies and gentlemen and whichever else we have on board." I announced over the intership. The lighting darkened and the klaxon sounded for perhaps the last time.  
  
"Dropping out of warp, now!"  
  
The stars stopped speeding by as we slipped back into normal space. The ugly asteroid that was the facility was visible in the background. In the foreground we close to seventy enemy vessels, out of weapons range but already starting to close fast. I could see seven, then fourteen silvery white missiles streak out from our lines and detonate inside the foul, dark cloud that made up our opposition. The Nova class vessels were doing their job.  
  
"All vessels, follow the plan. Divide and conquer. If you need help, call for it. If you have an ego that might keep you from doing so, toss it out the airlock. Good luck..."  
  
I watched the screen as the enemy ships got ever so closer.  
  
"ETA of enemy fleet to firing range is ten seconds."  
  
"All hands brace for impact. Tactical, Fire on targets in designated sectors only. Hold nothing back."  
  
The fleets looked like the old firing lines of troops in the Napoleanic era. Stand across a field and trade shots. We were lucky though, the Nova class vessels had already whittled away at their defenses, even disabling a few ships. The enemy vessels opened fire at extreme range. One of our Constellation class vessels took the brunt of over fourteen different attacks, the force of which knocked her off course and into a steam runner class vessel. Both exploded. All other vessels got off pretty light; the next worse case of damage was a ten- percent drop in shields.  
  
"All craft, fire!" I ordered.  
  
Every vessel on our side opened up with a withering array of phasers and torpedoes, blowing several vessels out of space. Wave after wave of energy issued forth from our weapons. Before we knew it the size of the enemy fleet was only around fifty with only two losses accredited to us.  
  
"All ships, pursue targets." "Helm, evasive pattern Kirk-epsilon. Tactical, Targets of Opportunity."  
The Paladin launched herself into battle with fervor. Almost none of her weapons ports were silent for more than a few seconds. I watched my crew do their jobs with the skill I had come to expect of them. There was not much that I could do other than issue new maneuvering orders. I watched as the number of enemy vessels started to drop rapidly. Our kill to loss ratio was almost ten to one. A much larger margin than I had expected in my simulations.  
  
"Sir, another thirty enemy vessels dropping out of warp, speed and direction suggest they have come from the Bajor system." Announced Elijah at ops.  
  
"Good, were doing our job well then."  
  
"Number of enemy vessels is back up to seventy sir." Jimmy informed me.  
  
"Well, inform the galaxy class vessels to implement beta contingency. Also inform Nova class vessels to begin bombardment again until the new vessels are too close."  
  
A chorus of "Aye sirs" came from the various posts. Beta contingency called for the Galaxy class vessels to separate into their two hulls, thereby giving us two more ships in place of the one.  
  
A hard explosion rocked the ship throwing me almost to the main viewer. Everyone else was also littered all over the floor.  
  
I stood up quickly and returned to my chair.  
  
"What the Hell happened!?" I bellowed.  
  
"Shuttle...crashed in primary... shuttle bay...cough...detonated, no more shuttle bay." Will wheezed as he struggled back into his chair. He spit blood onto the carpet and wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve.  
  
"Aft view. Medic to the bridge." I ordered.  
  
The viewscreen switched to a view of the aft of the ship. Well, what remained of the ship. A pretty large crater was evident where the primary shuttle bay had been. I could only imagine how many people died in that inferno.  
  
"Damage report."  
  
"Primary shuttle bay is out of commission, damage to all surrounding decks, multiple hull breaches and there is a fluctuation in the shields. Major power drop off, dorsal and aft shields will fail in the next five to seven minutes." Elijah reported.  
  
"Bridge to engineering," I spoke into the intercom.  
  
"Engineering here sir but make it quick, it's a mess down here." Luke replied.  
  
"I need all available power to be transferred to the shields, we have to keep them up!"  
  
"I'm doing all I can," an explosion was heard in the background "Damn, Jenkins, give me a hand."  
  
The intercom went silent.  
  
I switched the viewer back to forward just in time to see a battle cruiser fill the screen. It was just then that the collision alarms sounded.  
  
"Hard to port!" I yelled.  
  
The ship began to turn but I knew it was never going to make it, just as everyone else did.  
  
"All hands, Brace yourselves!"  
  
The battle cruiser struck weak starboard shields which could not hold integrity under that strain. The shields collapsed and allowed the cruiser to impact on the hull. Namely the Starboard warp nacelle which caused it to be ripped clean off about halfway up its support strut. The shriek of metal was heard all throughout the ship. That ghastly noise was followed closely by the sound of numerous EPS conduits rupturing.  
  
"Report." I ordered.  
  
"Shields, Down: Estimated Time of Repair, Never; Weapons, Down: ETR, seventeen minutes to an hour; Impulse, Down: ETR, ten minutes; Warp, Down: ETR, Never..." Will started to say.  
  
"Stop, start with telling me what DOES work." I said.  
  
"Well sir, Life Support, Thrusters, Intership, Intraship, and Emergency power, other than that nothing works." He said looking regretful.  
  
"Helm, Can you aim the vessel at the installation?"  
  
"Yes sir, we are generally pointed in that direction any way."  
  
"Good, steady our course with the thrusters but keep it looking like we are adrift."  
  
"Bridge to sickbay. Becky, I need a casualty report."  
  
"Do you want the living or the dead sir?" She asked dryly.  
  
"Give me both." My lips were pressed into a thin line.  
  
"Two hundred fifteen crew are living, the rest are dead, so there you go."  
  
"Wounded?" I asked  
  
"All of us are wounded to some degree or another, many people I have seen didn't even realize it. Hell even I have four ribs cracked or broken." She seemed to emphasize that with a coughing fit, I could hear her groaning with pain of the com link.  
  
"Bridge out."  
  
"Computer, activate all escape pods and signal abandon ship." I ordered.  
  
"Command not valid, escape pods are not functioning." The annoyingly pleasant disembodied voice informed me.  
  
"Computer, Can we disconnect the saucer section?"  
  
"Negative."  
  
"Warning, Proximity alert, impact with astral object in four minutes five seconds." The computer informed us.  
  
"Open a link to all remaining ships." I said, I did not care who carried it out.  
  
"Open sir" someone said.  
  
I tried to stand up but ended up on the floor with pain shooting all up my leg. I looked down at my boot and say that it, along with my foot, was twisted at an angle it should not be at. I pulled myself back into my seat.  
  
"This is Admiral Ibanez of the Paladin. All systems are down, and we are unable to abandon ship. Remember this day my friends, and never forget the sacrifices here. I salute all of you. Paladin out." I switched off the channel myself.  
  
"Engineering, prepare to set an overload into the warp core, I want it to explode on impact."  
  
"Aye Admiral, I'll set all antimatter bottles to open as well, and arm all of the torpedoes."  
  
"Good thinking, and Luke, it's been a pleasure." I said, a tear in my eye.  
  
"I know sir, me too." Then the channel cutoff.  
  
"All of you, it's been the highest pleasure of my life, I ..." I started to say to them.  
  
Something started beeping by the Ops station.  
  
"Cap...er, Admiral, A constitution class vessel is entering the system, well I think it's a constitution class, it looks highly modified."  
  
"What? On screen."  
  
To say "highly modified" was a gross understatement. The ship looked more like an Excelsior and Galaxy class hybrid than anything else even vaguely reminiscent of a Constitution class vessel. The Saucer was a brand new clamshell design, the support strut connecting it was much thicker and shortened. It looked like it had four torpedo tubes in place of the two. The engineering hull was widened almost double what the original specs called for. The warp nacelle struts were lowered till the were just under the saucer section's elevation. They jutted out of the lower hull on a flat plane and shifted upward at a 130 angle. The nacelles themselves looked like they belonged on an intrepid class vessel except for the fact that these were a good deal slimmer. The ship opened fire almost immediately with a full spread of eight quantum torpedoes.  
  
"Sir Incoming hail from the new vessel, now identified as the Hornet." Elijah announced from behind me.  
  
"Onscreen"  
  
An image of a Lieutenant Commander came onscreen. His close cropped gray hair suggested he should be much higher than his Lieutenant Commander rank. Behind him crew went calmly about their business the bright lighting making them show up very clearly. It almost seemed wrong that he his ship should be pristine and clean, when mine was all but dead and on a collision course.  
  
"Admiral Ibanez, This is Lieutenant Commander Elias Vaughn. We were to come and inform you to pull out to Bajor immediately, the diversion was successful."  
  
The look of relief on my crew was evident, if we were going to die, at least we died for something.  
  
"Thank you Mr. Vaughn, please inform the rest of the fleet, we will be unable to join you, Paladin is done for."  
  
"Hang tight Paladin, Hornet will assist before we pull out ourselves."  
  
"Negative, do not attempt a rescue to dangerous for you and your crew." I said back at him. Knowing I had just resigned what remained of my crew to their fate.  
  
"Say again Paladin, you're breaking up, must be the new monitor." He then cut off the transmission.  
  
"Damn it. I was afraid he might do this. Xavier, use intership and what not to get the rest of the crew into a large are, as close together as possible, Cargo Bay four should do nicely. I believe it is empty. Also fit as many people as you can into the working transporter rooms, one, two, and five I believe. Prepare to evacuate Paladin, take five minutes to gather what momentos you can and we'll load them into the extra torpedo casings and fire them towards a starbase, with message buoys attached of course. Let's do this quickly people! Bridge Crew, as soon as preps are made report back to the bridge."  
  
A chorus of Aye-ayes issued forth and everyone piled out of the bridge and to their quarters. I paused for only a moment to transfer all hails to my commbadge.  
  
Chapter 7  
  
"ETA till arrival of Hornet?" I asked  
  
"Four minutes twenty seconds." Diana said from her post.  
  
"Luke are the sensors set for the detonation?"  
  
"Correct Captain, everything will detonate as soon as the forward bow crumbles one fourth of the total length."  
  
"Very well, Diana, set the computer to make the ship jump to full impulse the micro second all the crew are off. Drop the Log Buoy too."  
  
"Aye Admiral, buoy dropped, all crew set to transfer off of the Paladin."  
  
"Hornet to Paladin we are beginning transport now, we will work on everyone in the cargo bay first and then move to the bridge."  
  
"Roger Hornet, standing by."  
  
It took another three minutes for the Hornet to remove all but the Bridge crew. They must have a new set of transporters or something on board.  
  
"Alright Admiral, we are ready to begin transporting you over now."  
  
"Acknowledged, we are standing by."  
  
The transport went as normal. All the crew were beamed off till I was the last person left onboard. That was when all hell broke loose.  
  
"Vaughn to Ibanez, we are beaming you off now sir."  
  
"I'm ready." I said, I picked up my duffel bag and stood in front of my command chair. Then, suddenly, I was on the floor.  
  
I looked up and around. I had no clue what had happened until I looked at one of the tertiary monitors. A Dominion Attack Vessel had made a strafing run on the Hornet, the Paladin just got hit by a stray torpedo. Good news was I was still alive. Bad news was, the Hornet now had her shields up which ment she couldn't transport me over. More bad news, the torpedo had hit the main AI processor, the computer now couldn't activate the Impulse engines by itself.  
  
I picked myself up and made my way to the Helm station I activated the engines manually. Almost immediately the proximity alarm went off. "Seventy Seconds till impact" the computer voice intoned.  
  
I raced to my chair and activated an emergency program. Two panels fell open on both sides. I ran to the one on the port side and pulled down hard on large Handle there. I could here magnetic locks blowing open on that side of the bridge. I started towards the opposite side to do the same.  
  
"fifty seconds till impact" the computer said again  
  
I pulled down on the handle. I could hear the locks blowing open again. A panel slid open in the middle of the bridge. I ran to it and slide on my knees infront of it.  
  
"Thirty seconds till impact"  
  
I jerked up on the handle and was immediately thrown on my back as escape thrusters fired, sending the bridge shooting away from the dying Paladin at one fourth impulse. When the compensators finally kicked in I got up and moved to the ops station, sending out a general distress call.  
  
No more than three seconds had passed before I felt a jolt hit the module. I thought I was being attacked before I looked at the veiwer, which showed the Hornet's tractor beam holding me as we accelerated away from the Asteroid. I pushed a button and switched to an aft veiw, just as the Paladin slammed into the asteroid. I saluted the inferno that had been my home for these last few years. A tear fell down my face and onto the ruined deck that used to be my bridge.  
  
"Vaughn to Ibanez, prepare to transport over, we cannot drag the module with us into warp."  
  
"Acknowledged, for my signal."  
  
"Fine, just hurry."  
  
I moved to the back of the bridge, to where the ships commissioning plate was located. I used my phaser and cut it off of the wall where it had been welded earlier. I moved to my chair again, and picked up my bag there.  
  
"Computer, set self destruct, one minute."  
  
"Acknowledged"  
  
I looked around one last time before I tapped my badge and was beamed off of the last remnant of my ship.  
  
We spent the next weeks gathering up escape pods and dropping them off at the nearest official starbase.  
  
I met with Grand Admiral Chekov on earth a month after the battle. He congratulated me on a fine job and even offered me a permanent promotion to Admiral. I'm still considering it. I was stationed at the Utopia Planitia Yards in order to help design a new ship. My command crew were distributed around earth. The new class of vessel is almost ready, the Rogue class. We will be commissioning the first one in a year, the Paladin-A.  
  
The End 


End file.
